


Wishes

by SnowboundWanderer



Series: Wishes and Promises [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-05
Updated: 2015-07-05
Packaged: 2018-04-07 20:47:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4277388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowboundWanderer/pseuds/SnowboundWanderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over the past month, Senna has found herself wishing for a lot of things that just can't be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishes

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the first time I've ever written anything aside from term papers in college. I've been reading and commenting on Korra fics for awhile now, and since the series has meant so much to me ideas for fics have been bouncing around my head and have refused to go away, and I figured writing something in a story format would be good practice. I love a lot of the works and authors for the Korra fandom here on AO3 that don't post on other sites, so I decided to do it here.
> 
> Without further adieu, here's my first (and almost completely unedited) fanfiction.

It was Pema who called her with the news of her daughter’s injury. Ever since Zaheer had escaped and her husband had left to assist in stopping him and his associates, Senna had found herself spending as much time as possible anxiously waiting by the new cross-continental phone. When she heard Pema’s voice instead of her husband’s, she knew something was wrong.

“What’s happened?” Senna quickly inquired before giving Pema a chance to finish her introduction. “Is my family…”

“Everyone’s alive.” Pema quietly said. For some reason, Senna was filled with a sense of dread at the words.

“But…?”

“Korra was hurt, Senna. It’s…bad.” Senna could hear the tears forming in Pema’s voice. “It’s really bad.”

Senna took a few deep breaths to clam herself. You trained as a nurse, be professional now while you gather information. “How?”

“It’s…it’s our fault Senna. Zaheer took my family and the other airbenders hostage, said he’d kill us all if Korra didn’t give herself up. She did and the others had a plan to get her out but Zaheer gained the ability to fly and…”

“Pema.” Senna gently cut her off. “Whatever happened it’s not your fault, but Korra’s injuries, please.”

“They…poisoned her.” Pema said, and Senna felt ice run through her veins. “Some sort of metal, mercury I think. They wanted to force her into the Avatar state and end the cycle. Korra fought back, but she couldn’t fight Zaheer and the poison. She has a lot of broken bones.”

“And the poison?” Senna asked, frantically trying to recall what she remembered about mercury poisoning.

“Su Beifong was able to bend it out, but…it was in her system a long time. I don’t what the effects of it are, but…” she heard Pema take a deep breath and steady her voice. “She’ll live, and Tonraq said to tell you to take the airship to Air Temple Island as soon as possible.”

“I’ll set out as soon as I can.” Senna quickly assured, eyes scanning her bedroom and contemplating how quickly she could pack. “Is my husband okay?”

“Yes. Zaheer through him off a cliff, but one of the Zafou guards caught him.” Pema quickly said, as though she thought saying it as fast as possible would make it easier. “He’s just got some sprains and bruises, but he’s really going to need you, Senna.”

 _'I’m going to need him to_ '. “Alright, tell him I’m coming. Thank you.” Senna hung up the phone, not waiting to exchange proper farewells with Pema. She’d apologize in person at the island. After taking some deep breaths, she phoned the airship crew and informed them of their new itinerary. After being told they’d be ready to leave in two hours, she began to haphazardly throw clothing into a travel bag, both for her and for her husband. She went to the kitchen and quickly stomached a meal, then headed out to the nearby hospital. Greeting the receptionist, she was quickly able to meet the head healer and ask for any texts she had about mercury poisoning. She spent the next forty-five minutes waiting in the lobby, trying desperately not to think about the fact that she had almost lost her entire family in the course of a half-hour. The head healer eventually returned with a few books with bookmarks placed in the relevant sections. Thanking her, Senna left the hospital and arrived at the airship.

Senna spent most of the three-day journey to Republic City reading and re-reading about the effects of mercury poisoning. Every time she finished a section about its horrific effects, she’d see her daughter suffering even worse and could not stop the tears escaping her eyes. Then she’d read it again, wishing that at some point, the knowledge would sink in deep enough that her healing would fix her daughter up, good as new.

* * *

 

Senna had started walking down the airship ramp before it had come to a stop. Tripping and catching herself as it came to a rest, she was greeted at the ramp by Pema, carrying Rohan in a sling. They exchanged greetings and Pema led her over to another airship with markings Senna recognized as the Metal Clan.

“They just landed a few minutes before you did. Su and Lin should be on there, and Naga as well. I’m sure Korra would love to see you both.” Senna nodded at Pema’s statement as the ramp lowered. Like her, Naga did not wait for the ramp to come down, bounding over to Senna and nuzzling her head into Senna’s arms. Affectionately scratching Naga’s head, Senna disengaged when she saw Su Beifong coming down the ramp with some of her guards. She ran up to the woman and dragged her into a strong hug that was quickly returned.

“ _Thank you_ ” Senna whispered, before clearing her throat and making her voice stronger, “Pema told me how you saved my daughter’s life.”

“Of course” Su assured her, in a gentle voice that Senna knew only came from experience as a mother. “My daughter was among those Zaheer took, and what yours did to save her…I’ll never forget it.”

Senna nodded against Su’s shoulder before pulling back and wiping her eyes. “I was told one of your guards saved my husband as well.”

“Yes, Kuvira here” Su said, gesturing to the young woman to her right. “Caught him in the nick of time.” Senna moved to Kuvira and gave her a hug as well, which Kuvira stiffly and hesitantly returned.

“Thank you.”

“I’m glad I was able to help your family.” Kuvira said, her voice carrying a sincerity that compensated for the lack of physical affection. Sensing Kuvira’s discomfort with the physical contact, Senna drew away and went back to Naga and Pema.

“Thank you.” Senna said again to both of them. She wished could convey all her gratitude in a single statement, but she felt she would be saying it for the rest of her life. “Now I really need to go see my daughter and husband.” Su nodded and Senna turned and followed Pema up to the dorm rooms, Naga keeping pace next to her. After navigating through several hallways, Pema pointed towards a closed door with the silhouettes of multiple figures through the screen door before excusing herself. Bracing herself, Senna slid the screen door open and stepped inside.

Even though the dark fantasies she had conjured up on the trip were much worse than reality, seeing Korra’s condition caused a feeling of numb despair to fill her chest and throat. She was asleep (though, Senna mused, “unconscious” was probably a better descriptor) on the bed, half-healed bruises and other discolorations marking her arms and face. As bad as it was, Senna knew it couldn’t compare to the damage it would have inflicted on her muscles. Hesitantly looking away from her daughter, she took in the other people in the room. Sitting at Korra’s side was the raven-haired woman Senna recognized as her friend Asami Sato. She was adjusting Korra’s blanket with one hand her other had absent-mindedly moved to scratch Naga, who had pushed past Senna to inspect Korra. Near the foot of the bed Tonraq sat in a chair, his body radiating a fatigue that lifted slightly when his gaze rose to meet hers.

“Senna” he said, rising from his chair and heading towards her. Senna closed the remaining distance and drew him into a fierce hug. After a few seconds, they pulled away and turned their gaze to their daughter and Asami.

“She’ll be waking up in a bit.” Asami said, turning towards Senna and offering her a small and tired smile. True enough, Asami had barely finished speaking when began making grunts of pain and opened her eyes. Senna immediately moved next to Asami, taking Korra’s hand.

“Mom?” Korra rasped, her voice leaving no doubts about the pain she was in. She attempted to squeeze the hand Senna had entwined with her, though it ended being more of a weak clenching. “Mom, it hurts.”

“I know, sweetie, I know” Senna said, trying to keep her voice clear of the pain she was feeling. “We’re going to do everything we can to help.” She wished that she could say that everything would be okay, but she didn’t think she would be able to lie that well.

Korra jerkily nodded, letting out a whimper of pain as Naga tried to nuzzle into Korra’s chest. The polar bear-dog immediately noticed and moved to lay her head next to Korra’s hand, who with great effort moved it on top of Naga’s head. The five of them spent the next few minutes like that, until Korra turned to Asami. “’Sami, I…I need to go.”

“Okay Korra” Asami said with a gentle tenderness. Pulling the blanket away, she put her arms under Korra’s knees and back, lifting her up and carrying her out of the still open door.

“Go?” Senna said, looking to Tonraq to confirm her suspicions.

“Bathroom” he said, confirming it. “Korra…wet the bed a couple nights ago.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t mention that to Korra. Asami is the only one who’s supposed to know. I only knew because I was wandering the halls last night and heard them talking in one of the washrooms. I went to Korra’s bedroom and found the sheets changed and the mattress flipped.”

Senna felt a huge burst of gratitude for the woman who had just left with her daughter catch in her throat. Needing help to use the bathroom must be intensely humiliating for Korra, but it was clear she trusted Asami enough to ask for help. “Korra must really trust Asami.”

“Yeah” Tonraq breathed out. “Asami’s just been so…in-tune with what Korra needs. Kind of making me feel inadequate as a parent,” he added with a humorless grin.

Senna didn’t know too much about Asami. That she was both beautiful and brilliant was public knowledge, but, Senna supposed, some of her actions that she’d heard about spoke well of her character. She hadn’t hesitated to stand for what was right against her father, and continued to stay with Korra and aid her even after she had stolen her boyfriend. Pulling herself from her thoughts of Asami, she turned to her husband. “What’s Korra’s prognosis?”

Tonraq loudly exhaled. “She’s got a few broken bones and bruises from the actual fight. Those should heal fine in time.” Before Senna could interject and tell him to get to the poison, Tonraq continued. “As for the poison…it’s wrecked havoc on her body. She can’t feel her legs, and the rest of her body is in constant pain. The healers say her spine isn’t damaged, so she should regain use of her whole body with time, but…”

“It’s going to be a long time” Senna grimly ended, knowing that intense and painful healing and physical rehab would be the only way for Korra to regain control of her body. “Who’s attending her?”

“Aside from Asami, mostly healers from the White Lotus garrison. Kya does what she can, but she and her siblings were injured pretty badly as well.”

Senna nodded, head staring at the floor as she sat down where Asami had. “Why?” she choked out.

“Zaheer and his associates were part of an organization called the Red Lotus.” The obvious play on the White Lotus caused Senna to raise her head to meet her husband’s gaze. “They’re anarchists who believe that the world order we’ve built over the past ten thousand years needs to be destroyed. They tried to kidnap Korra all those years ago to brainwash her into an assassin of world leaders, which was apparently my brother’s idea. They wanted to force her into the Avatar state so they could kill her and end the cycle forever.”

Senna couldn’t help the snort when she heard of Unalaq’s involvement. _‘I wasn’t exactly wanting for reasons to hate my late brother-in-law’_. “What about the others?” She had only caught glimpses of them as she ran from them with Korra in her arms, but she could still vividly remember them.

“Dead” Tonraq said with a determined finality. “I won’t go into details, but they died painfully.” Senna felt a small twinge of disgust at the pleasure she took from hearing that. “There were four others, generic grunts that Zaheer had contacted. We captured the two that were guarding the hostages during the fight, and the Beifongs and the Zaofu tracked down and captured the two metalbenders who put the poison into Korra. We’ll never break Zaheer, bit Lin’s confidant she’ll have all of them spilling everything they know. The Red Lotus will be destroyed for this.”

Nodding, Senna moved over to her husband and embraced him once more. His arms settled around her and he breathed in the scent of her hair.

“Our daughter was so brave, love” Tonraq said. Senna looked up at him and saw him making a determined effort to hold all his pain in. One of the reasons Senna loved him was that even though everyone considered him a paragon of masculinity, he had never been afraid to cry or show his feelings in front of people he trusted. Now though, he was determined to create the illusion of strength and stoicism, and Senna understood. Their daughter needed them him to be strong for her, and Senna needed to be strong for her to.

* * *

 

The next two weeks passed by in a sort of haze for Senna. She quickly integrated herself with Asami’s routine for Korra, and the CEO used this to spend a few days at her company and workshop. She returned with a wheelchair she had made that was “better than the shit I saw in stores”. Giving Korra the extra mobility seemed to help her mood, though they discovered that it varied wildly depending on who saw her in it and when. The two brothers Korra was friends with began showing up more often, with Bolin trying to inject cheer into Korra and everyone else, while her ex-boyfriend awkwardly but determinedly gave her his support. It seemed to help Korra some, but not enough to drag her out of the morasses that Asami and Senna had not been able to get her out of. Tonraq, though he spent as much time as he could with Korra, was increasingly forced to spend time with President Raiko and other political leaders while they discussed the Red Lotus and the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Earth Kingdom. Privately, she and Tonraq had convinced Korra to come home with them to the Southern Water Tribe after Jinora’s ceremony. While Senna wanted to leave as soon as possible (the rumors she had heard of the viciousness of Republic City’s press was proving well-founded as more and more information about the events at the Northern Air Temple leaked out were being proven true), she knew that they all owed Jinora. Her leadership of the airbenders saved Korra’s life just as much as Su’s metalbending had, not to mention the time she had saved Korra’s life against Unavaatu. The master’s tattoos that she would be receiving were certainly deserved.

The ceremony was breathtakingly beautiful, with the dozens of airbenders harmoniously making the bells that adorned the hall chime. She looked over at her daughter, who Asami had done a brilliant job of dressing, only to see tears falling from her eyes. She began to reach for Tonraq, but Asami was already there, quietly talking to Korra then moving her from the room.

Half an hour later Senna found herself on one of the gazebos staring out into Yue Bay. As the formal ceremony concluded song and dance started playing. She and Tonraq had shared a slow dance, but neither of them felt like it was appropriate. They had both gone their separate ways to find Korra and Asami, and she had found herself distracted.

“Hey” a voice called, and Senna turned to see Asami standing behind her. “Korra’s in her room. She got tired and I put her to bed. Tonraq and Naga are with her.”

Senna nodded, her affection for Asami growing just like it had every day for the past two weeks. She noticed Asami shifting nervously and raised an eyebrow, sparking Asami to say “I hear you’re all leaving for the South in a couple days.”

Senna nodded in confirmation feeling guilty that she had not informed Asami sooner. “I know how good you’ve been for her, but going home will be good for her. Master Katara can help her in ways no other healer can, and I think she needs to get away from all…this” she said, while making a general gesture towards Republic City. “Where she can recover without the pressure that this city brings down on her.”

Asami nodded in understanding, Senna knowing that Asami was very aware of how the press could be. Looking down at her feet, she quietly let out “I asked Korra if I could come with you.”

“And she said no.”

“I know she appreciates what I’m doing for her, but I know that she hates that I’m seeing her like this. That she’ll be able to come back as good as new and pretend none of this happened.”

“You love her, don’t you?” Senna asked, causing Asami to look up at her in shock. Senna could come to no other conclusion. The devotion that Asami had shown Korra could only come from the desire that love gives to be by someone’s side no matter how hard it is.

“I…” Asami hesitated, before steeling herself and determinedly looking at Senna. “Yes, I do. I think I may have for a while now.”

Senna moved to rest her hand on Asami’s shoulder. “Thank you. You’re…exactly the kind of person I’d want my daughter to be with.”

“Really?” Asami said, quirking an eyebrow. The attitudes towards same sex relationships…varied depending on the culture.

“Really.” Senna confirmed, smiling at her. “You’re beautiful, intelligent, and you care, so much.” Asami returned her smile, blushing slightly at the words. “Have you told her?”

“No” Asami remarked sadly. “If it was just me I’d put a giant sign on Future Industries Tower, but it’s not. Korra needs the time to recover, and I feel that…if I told her, she wouldn’t believe me.”

Senna cocked her head inquisitively, prompting Asami to continue. “She’s so down on herself, thinks that she’s completely unattractive, that a cripple like her shouldn’t be loved.” She had started pacing and making wild gestures with her hands before stopping once she realized what she said. “I’m sorry,” her voice filled with remorse, “I didn’t mean…”

“Asami.” Senna gently cut her off, bringing her hand back to her shoulder. “I know what you meant. You don’t have to pretend that this hasn’t been hard on you.”

Asami nodded, grateful that Senna wasn’t angry at her words. “It’s just, while the ceremony was going on, all I could think about was when Tenzin got his tattoos, Aang had to ring the bells all by himself. Now there were dozens of airbenders doing it. It was beautiful, and Korra created that! Creating beauty is what she does!” Asami stopped, and slowly calmed down from her passionate speech. “I just wish Korra could see that. I wish I could come with you and help her see how beautiful she is.”

Senna moved to fully embrace Asami. “I wish for those things to dear. Just promise me one thing.” Asami rapidly nodded into Senna’s shoulder in assent “While she’s with us, keep writing to her, even if she doesn’t have the strength to write back. I know that if you’re patient, once she’s better she’ll return your love tenfold.”

“I’d wait forever for her” Asami said with conviction. Senna never thought she’d believe that coming from someone who was only nineteen, but she did regardless. “Do you really think she like me back?”

“Of course she does. I’ve seen the way she's been checking out your backside over the last few weeks.” Senna chuckled as she felt the heat rise in Asami’s cheeks.

* * *

 

The first few weeks back in the Southern Water Tribe did not go as Senna had wished, but about as well as she had expected. Korra refused to visit Katara, seemingly hoping that she would wake up with her body at full strength again, and each morning she would have her hopes dashed. She barely ate or slept, and both she and Tonraq could see in Korra’s eyes that her mind was taking her to darker and darker places. They’d resolved to begin pushing Korra to go in the next couple days, and with that sobering thought they had gone to bed.

Her husband was having another nightmare. He had been having them since they had been reunited on Air Temple Island, but Senna hadn’t prompted him to tell her, terrified that it would break the mask he had put on for Korra. But tonight she had had enough and could not allow a member of her family to suffer, and moved to wake Tonraq. His eyes eventually opened from her shaking, filled with unshed tears, and her own eyes pierced his, asking questions that over twenty years of marriage had removed the need to vocalize.

Eventually, her husband steadied his breath. “How…how can you even look at me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I _failed_ , love” she saw the tears beginning to fall from his fierce eyes. “On that mountain she had her wrists and ankles chained and I was the only one standing between her and that monster, and I _failed_. I watched from the entrance of that cave while hundreds of feet above I watched him suffocate the life out of her and I couldn’t help. Even after he’d been taken down and I had her she reached out to me and collapsed and our _little girl_ was _dying in my arms and there was nothing I could do because I’d failed_ …!”

“Tonraq!” Senna yelled, cutting off his raised voice and any further self-loathing. She raised her hands to his cheeks, the tears now flowing uninterrupted. She recalled the first few months they knew each other, when her diligent attempts to gain his trust were rewarded with his sharing of the overwhelming feelings of shame he had for the dishonor he’d supposedly brought on his family. “Listen carefully to me love, you failed no one. You did everything you could to protect our daughter, and even though it didn’t stop her from getting hurt, it was enough to help her pull through. And you’re not going to fail in helping our little girl find herself again.”

Tonraq, in the clutches of the nightmares he’d been having, seemed unable to believe her words, and her heart broke at the thought. Resolved to help him break from their grip, she removed the blanket from them and began removing Tonraq’s nightclothes.

“What are you…?” Tonraq quietly questioned before Senna shushed him, finishing disrobing both him and herself. Straddling him, she ensured he was ready before guiding him into her. She gently rode on top of him, and nightmares gripping her husband faded, the visions replaced by the swaying of her breasts and the hurt replaced by the feeling of her walls clenching around him. And she needed this as well. This was the basest way to chase away her own nightmares. Her husband’s body was not lying broken at the bottom of a cliff, it was _here_ , with _her_ , making love to her.

It wasn’t long before he lost himself, and he gripped her hips when she felt his seed spilling inside her. His climax rapidly brought exhaustion to him, and under her gentle caresses and sweet nothings drifted into a sleep that was somewhat more restful than the one before. Moving off of him, she found herself unable to get back to sleep. She had not come remotely close to climaxing, but that was not the purpose of what she had done and she didn’t feel the desire to finish herself off. Getting up and throwing a robe over her naked form, she idly wondered if he had given her his suffering along with his seed. If so, she thought as she left their bedroom to wander the halls, it was something she was glad to take for him for the night.

She found herself outside Korra’s room, with the door open and both her and her wheelchair missing. A quick glance at an awake Naga told her that she should go to the balcony where she had been the last several nights. Senna found her daughter there, staring up at the southern lights; another piece of beauty that she had created, though Senna knew her daughter couldn’t see that. She felt hot tears make their way down her face, and felt like collapsing on the spot.

When she’d been pregnant with Korra, both she and Tonraq wished for a simple, normal life for them and their child. Discovering her daughter could bend multiple elements shattered those wishes. Senna knew, gazing at her forlorn daughter, that those wishes were impossible to fulfill. But was it too much to wish that, in addition to all the other wishes she had made over the past month, that her family could at least be happy?

Silence was the only answer she received for her silent wish, but instead of filling her with hopelessness, it gave her a resolve she didn’t know she had. Rising back to her feet and wiping the tears from her face, she saw her daughter still sitting there and made up her mind. She was done wishing for things to be better. She was going to convince Korra right now to visit Katara. Korra would go and learn to walk again. Korra would realize how much she and Tonraq and Asami and everyone else loved her. The girl that was the fruit of her love with her husband, who was one of the greatest forces for good in the world, who Senna could not be more proud of would get better. And that, Senna told herself as she approached her daughter, was not a wish, it was a promise.


End file.
